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Morgan County, Kentucky: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Morgan County is 206.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 243 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (198), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (35), Gas station (mapped facility) (3). 2 correctional facilities operate in the county. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 30 in a million, driven mainly by formaldehyde.

Rates are age-adjusted per 100,000 people. A cancer signal is marked significant when the lower bound of its 95 percent confidence interval is above the U.S. rate. Facility counts use active federal records located inside the county boundary. Approximate county center: 37.9136, -83.2229.

How this county ranks in Kentucky

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Cancer deaths and new cases versus the United States

Source: NCI and CDC State Cancer Profiles, both sexes, all ages. Sorted by the ratio of the county rate to the U.S. rate.

Cancer rates for Morgan County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	59.4	30.2	1.97xSignificant	44.5 to 78.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	85.6	51.8	1.65xSignificant	67.7 to 107.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	21.7	14.5	1.5x	12.8 to 34.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	206.2	143.2	1.44xSignificant	176.6 to 239.6	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	25.3	18.7	1.35x	15.5 to 39.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.3	17.9	1.19x	12.4 to 34.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	469	453.4	1.03x	424.1 to 517.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	19	23.8	0.8x	10.8 to 31.3	2019-2023

Mortality measures versus the U.S. county median

Source: County Health Rankings, built from CDC National Vital Statistics System death records. The comparison value is the median of all U.S. counties.

Mortality measures for Morgan County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,957.9	9,842.6	+21%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73	75.3	-3%	years
Child mortality	94.2	59.8	+58%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	100.4	96.9	+4%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	38.9	28.6	+36%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 30 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde18.04 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde1.9 per million
Benzene0.84 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 356 days: 337 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 35, peak 87.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

243 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Industrial wastewater discharge198
NPDES wastewater discharge permit35
Gas station (mapped facility)3
Public airport2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
EPA air quality monitor1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Hinkle Contracting Co Llc - Pomp Asphalt & Cave Run Mine, West Liberty
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds, Mercury And Mercury Compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 212 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4147WHNKLCKY519 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Hinkle Contracting Co Llc - Pomp Asphalt Plant, West Liberty
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013836741 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.9
Woodsbend Youth Development Center, West Liberty
Correctional facility (prison or jail).
EPA FRS registry ID 110006810175 (U.S. EPA ECHO + SDWIS) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Grassy Auto Parts, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006810530 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Masters Post & Sawmill Inc, Ezel
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009956137 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
East Valley Elementary School, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110021515190 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Woodsbend Youth Development Center, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006810175 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Morgan Co State Maintenance Garage, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $45,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009960140 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Ezel Elementary School, Ezel
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033010186 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
West Liberty Stp, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009936043 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
West Liberty Stp, West Liberty
Industrial wastewater discharge. Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KY0089567: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Masters Post & Sawmill Inc, Ezel
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KYR004004: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Wr Hardwoods Llc, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056406009 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Southbound Coal Llc, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070865601 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Southbound Coal Llc, West Liberty
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KYGE41124: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 2.1
Bulk Plant Inc - West Liberty #75, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009934642 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Hinkle Contracting Co Llc - Cave Run Stone, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040966381 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Southbound Coal Llc [888-0101], White Oak [Morgan]
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045092378 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
West Liberty, West Liberty
Public airport. O.
Record ID 9I3 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
East Valley Elementary School, West Liberty
Industrial wastewater discharge. Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KY0107026: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 1.9
Hinkle Contracting Company Llc - Cave Run Stone, West Liberty
Industrial wastewater discharge. Violation Identified.
NPDES permit KYG840131: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 1.9
Hinkle Contracting Co Llc - Pomp Asphalt Plant, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009954825 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
West Liberty Wtp, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009959036 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
The Wells Group Llc, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037991750 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Cargill Inc, West Liberty
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045091681 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Woodsbend Youth Development Center, West Liberty
EPA FRS registry ID
110006810175
Wastewater permit
Yes, significant noncompliance, 10 quarters in noncompliance
EPA detailed facility report
Ekcc Soil Erosion Control Ky Department Of Corrections, West Liberty
EPA FRS registry ID
110071878105
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Morgan County

Kentucky state cancer registry
Cancer incidence counts by census tract or ZIP code, by cancer type and year (de-identified). Any cancer cluster inquiries or investigations in Morgan County, and their findings.
Kentucky vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Kentucky health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Kentucky environmental agency and the U.S. EPA regional office
Compliance history, inspection reports, notices of violation, penalties and enforcement actions for each facility above, cited by EPA FRS registry ID.
Kentucky drinking water program
Violation notices, sampling results and sanitary surveys for the public water systems serving the county, including any system serving a correctional facility.
Department of corrections or county sheriff
Water testing, grievances and environmental health inspections for the correctional facilities listed above.

Each Envyrofax address report includes a printable records request worksheet with the custodian and the exact request wording per finding.

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